Acing the CCNA Exam, Volume 1

3 Cables, connectors, and ports

This chapter covers

• The specifications and standards that allow computers to communicate
• The fundamentals of traffic over a network
• Types of wired connections and cabling standards
• The uses of unshielded twisted pair and fiber-optic connections in networks

In chapter 2, we looked at a few diagrams showing network nodes connected with cables. In this chapter, we will look at the specific kinds of cables, connectors, and ports used to make those connections. These topics are part of section 1.0, Network Fundamentals, of the CCNA exam. Specifically, we will cover aspects of exam topic 1.3, which is as follows:

• 1.3 Compare physical interface and cabling types

  • 1.3.a Single-mode fiber, multimode fiber, copper